Best friends forever? If you have a very close bond with one friend, you're lucky, say researchers. Here's why a very close friendship bond (not just a few "good friends") is so good for you...

Do you have a best friend in your life? I don't have one person (other than my sister and my husband--do they count?) who I'd call a "best friend," just lots of close girlfriends. That may not be so great for my health, say experts from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

According to their research, people who have a true "best friend" have lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in their bodies. As you may recall, too many stress hormones can make us feel unhappy and they can also contribute to disease.

"One of the interesting things about these findings is that it's not just any friend, it's the best friend," said Ryan Adams, the study's lead author. Thee study looked at children, but the experts believe there could be some applications to adults, too.

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Let's talk about friends: Do you have a best friend, or are you more like me with a group of many good friends? __